Running refers to Marianna Ruiz’ father who is a US Senator running on the Republican ticket for US President. As a 15 year old Cuban American from a family of immigrants, Mariana faces a new reality. Public scrutiny, 60 Minute style tour of their home, tabloids printing doctored photos and made up scandals about the family. Marianna, who has led a sheltered and privileged life to this point, but as tensions rise in her family, Marianna begins to learn things about her father that she did not previously know.

As she learns more about her father’s political positions on environmental issues and immigration, her opinion of him changes. He is not the man she thought he was. It is normal for a teen to disagree with a parent’s views, but iMarianna found it very hard to stand up and speak out against her father with their family in the national spotlight.

Running is a good coming of age story, especially for students who are interested in politics and current affairs.

After the Shot Drops is an contemporary urban story regarding two friends Bunny and Nasir who have been best friends since childhood. But things change when Bunny accepts an athletic scholarship at another school across town, leaving Nasir feeling abandoned and betrayed. It’s not all roses for Bunny, either, as he tries to fit in with his new, privileged mostly white peers. Nasir spends more time with his cousin, Wallace, who is being evicted. Nasir doesn’t understand wonder why the people in their neighborhood are so ramped up over Bunny’s scholarship when Wallace is the one who needs help and support.

Things go south when Wallace makes a sport bet against Bunny, leaving Nasir in a miserable situation. He has to make an impossible, and potentially dangerous decision.

The story is told from alternating perspectives and deals with themes about the responsibilities of great talent, the importance of compassion, the value of friendship, the importance of family, and the need for courage in difficult situations. While basketball may be what hooks in the reader, and there is plenty of basketball in the novel, it is the relationships that make the story. This book will appeal to YA readers who enjoyed Slam, The Hate U Give, Hooper, All American Boys, or The Crossover.

Grace Hansen has once again provided young readers with clear, concise, easy to understand, basic information on a subject without talking down to the reader, this time the subject is IGNEOUS ROCKS.

Igneous Rocks by Grace Hansen explains what igneous rocks are: where and how they are formed- including the rock cycle and what igneous rocks are used for in our lives.

Two or three sentences of information, in large font text, on the left side page accompany large (10.5″ X 9″) full page photos on the right side page.

The book includes: table of contents, index, glossary, and “abdokids.com to access crafts, games, videos, and more!” [GIK551] (24) The same website information can be obtained by using the QR code provided on the same page.

Bulldozers by Aubrey Zalewsk gives young readers basic information on why and where bulldozers are used. Bulldozers level ground, plow snow, build roads, mining, logging and can also be used by farmers.

The three main parts ( tracks, blade, and ripper) are labeled in a photo. The vocabulary words are highlighted in blue throughout the medium sized text of the book. The blue matches the outside spine of the book and other sidebar bits of information.

Bulldozers by Aubrey Zalewski has the added feature of four QR codes – one for each chapter. When the first QR code is scanned the reader will see of short video clip of bulldozers moving earth. The other QR codes will send the reader to more information (links), and activities. The same information can be obtained by going to popbooksonline.com/bulldozer on a computer.

Young readers will discover much about the real life of Clown Fish, made so popular in the movie FINDING NEMO.

Clown Fish by Emma Bassier has the added feature of four QR codes – one for each chapter. When the first QR code is scanned the reader will see of short video clip of the clown fish swimming. The other QR codes will send the reader to more information (links), and activities. The same information can be obtained by going to popbooksonline.com/clown-fish on a computer.

The format is the typical large font text on one page filled with color photos on the opposite page. The spine of the book is in purple, as are the vocabulary words as they are presented within the text.

Joanne Mattern puts the events leading up to the writing of our national anthem into order from the building of Fort McHenry, to the battle observed by Francis Scott Key between the British and the United States’ troops at Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, and beyond.

“when British troops attacked American ships, [President James] Madison had had enough. The War of 1812 lasted about two years. In the end, Madison was seen as a popular President who stood strong against being bullied by the British.” (15) At the beginning of the War of 1812, the United States did not have a trained army and only three large ships in its navy, but Madison had the support of the American people.

The British had already burnt Washington, D.C. and were converging on Baltimore protected by Fort McHenry.

Each turn of the page has the text broken up with interesting side bars, maps, diagrams, illustrations and/or portraits of leaders from the time period, or photos of live re-enactments from Fort McHenry which is part of the National Park Service.

The cover photo of five diverse six year olds with five diverse puppies will draw young readers into this book about owning their very first puppy.

The first nineteen pages alternate through the five joyful children interacting with their various puppies. Sniffing hands, putting on collars, walking on a leash, learning to sit and stay, providing food and fresh water, and cleaning up puppy meshes are some of the subjects written about in huge font short sentences. Then, the final eleven pages are meant to be shared with the child and an adult to get them on the same page with puppy care. ‘A Bed or Crate’, ‘Things to Cuddle’, ‘Sense of Smell’, ‘Choose a Name’,’ Walking on a Leash’, ‘Sit, Stay, and More!’, ‘Going Outside’, ‘Being Patient’, ‘Food and Water’, ‘Checkups’, ‘A Wagging Tail’, ‘Always Be Gentle’, and ‘Stay Safe’ are the topics to be discussed between the child and adult.

Jill Wachter’s minimalistic photos of puppy and child with her illustrated balls, collars, and other puppy items accentuate the corresponding text.